The San Francisco Warriors are World Champions for 2017. Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry starred. Each year I am struck by the broadcasting crews slight of the greatest players that have gone before. It is almost as if NBA basketball began with “Magic” Johnson and Larry Bird, followed by Michael Jordan. I am clear the great players of the ‘60’s could play with anyone putting on their sneakers today. Let’s take a look.

At the center position (almost extinct today), I have three players who dominated then and would do so now:

      Bill Russell       6’8”   225 lbs.      Boston Celtics   

      Greatest shot blocker of all-time and the heart of 10 NBA

      Championships

      Wilt Chamberlain   7’2”    285 lbs.   Philadelphia/San Francisco

      Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers

      Greatest physical specimen to ever play any sport

      Kareem Abdul-Jabbar  7’0”    250 lbs.    Milwaukee Bucks and

      Los Angeles Lakers

      The most graceful and prolific scorer of all-time at his position

 

These three are the only basketball players to cause rule changes in the game. They would dominate today just as they did then.

Power forwards weren’t even called that “back in the day.” They were that just the same:

       Bob Pettit        6’8”      240 lbs.          St. Louis Hawks

       The prototype power forward. Scorer and fierce rebounder.

        Maurice Stokes     6’8”     240 lbs.    Cincinnati Royals

        Never saw a rebound he didn’t like with scoring to match.

        Gus Johnson         6’8”     240 lbs.      Baltimore Bullets

        First player to slam dunk his drives to the basket. Great rebounder.

 

Small forwards were supposed to be mobile scorers and good at all

facets of the game. Let’s see if these fit:

        Elgin Baylor      6’5”    225 lbs.       Los Angeles Lakers

        Great scorer. Avg. 26+ per game his rookie season. In a playoff

        game against the Celtics he scored 63 points. Most underrated

        player ever in the NBA.

        John Havlicek   6’5”     215 lbs.       Boston Celtics

        Bill Russell said he is the best player he ever played with. Big play-

        maker with the game on the line. Tenacious defender.

       Jack Twyman, Chet Walker, Billy Cunningham, Connie Hawkins.

       You choose.

There was no such thing as a “point guard” or “shooting guard.” These guys could do it all:

        Oscar Robertson.    6’5”    220 lbs.       Cincinnati Royals/Milwaukee Bucks.

Very simply the best basketball player ever. The “Big O” was   

        a decimal point away from averaging a triple double for his 13 year

        career. Perhaps the best defender as well.

        Jerry West              6’3”     185 lbs.       Los Angeles Lakers

        Just a shade behind the “Big O”. Great defender. Once scored 50

        points per game in an NBA playoff series.

        Hal Greer, Lennie Wilkins, Jimmy Walker, Earl Monroe, Dave Bing

        You pick your favorite if you can remember that far back.